Yafet Askale, 28, denied breaking into the vehicle which had been fitted with a traceable liquid called SmartWater, which contains a dye that becomes visible under ultra violet light.
As he stole items including a laptop he activated a system which sprayed him with the substance and alerted police the car had been broken into. Ultra violet lights showed Askale covered in the spray.
Releasing the images as a warning, Detective Inspector Madeline Ryder, of Brent Police, said: "This is another excellent example of the thorough work completed by Brent Officers. Using the trap car technology we were able to charge Askale and put him before the courts.
"The trap car forms part of an overall crime reduction strategy designed by SmartWater which is an effective weapon in the armoury of tools that we routinely use in Brent. We will continue to target those who are insistent on committing these types of offence.